


Episode ???: Sometimes, sometimes

by sameoldstory



Category: A Voice From Darkness (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, I had a nightmare because of this fic, I kind of took a time loop prompt, I'm just bored of my own script, PITY ME, and then I forgot I was doing that, anyway I don't think there's anything worth tagging, bad mental health?, script style, so instead I'm writing my own avfd episode, so it's just time loop themed, sorry for that but I need practice, the way candy is "fruit" flavoured, this is not a ship fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25154344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sameoldstory/pseuds/sameoldstory
Summary: Timeloops, time travel and more time... related stuff!





	Episode ???: Sometimes, sometimes

**Author's Note:**

> (In case you forgot, Diane was the kid who got trapped in the Ghost Library. I figured she's make for a perfect intern hehe)

_(SFX: faint static, barely audible)_

**Malcolm Ryder**

You are looking at your phone and realise the time is running backwards.

You are caught in a time loop.

You are caught in a time loop.

You are caught in a time loop.

You are caught in a never ending time loop.

You are caught in a never ending time loop and nothing will ever change.

(unintelligible)

_(SFX: The sound of a tape rewinding, mechanical whirring, a clock ticks innocently in the background. The static has stopped.)_

You need my help.

Hello, this is Dr. Malcolm Ryder, parapsychologist. Here to answer your supernatural questions and teach you a bit about America's odd past. We have a full show tonight, so why don’t we get right to our National Alerts.

_(SFX: National Alerts music fades in)_

**National Alerts:**

Our first National Alert is for a place very close to our studio, dear listeners: several customers were reported to have gone missing at a coffee shop just 11 blocks away from us. The coffee shop has closed temporarily due to this circumstance.

However, my intern, Diane went to investigate this morning and told me that it had seemingly reopened and looked “totally retro” as she put it. The customers inside were apparently clothed in old fashioned clothes and all of them looked at her expectantly...as if waiting for her to come in. I told her the same thing I am telling you now.

Do not enter the Tea Chin Mime coffee shop in Chicago. Do not approach it, even if it seems to be open for business. And try not to look at the customers, no matter if they are watching you or not.

We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.

Our second national alert is for Gilford, New Hampshire which is ....interesting since there hasn’t been a credible report from within the borders of the state in well over three years.

This source however seems very real. One week ago a man walked over the border and into the fog. He hasn’t been seen since and was reported as missing, presumed dead on the same day. Two hours ago his phone went online, though. It’s been streaming to the internet ever since. At first there was nothing to see on the footage, just the unmoving shape of what could be a signpost wrapped in thick, unchanging fog. The angle didn’t change and it seemed like the cameraman was unconscious, since the footage indicated that the phone was lying on the ground and filming upwards. There were two semi-official press conferences within that time span. One of them called the stream a hoax and one of them told the reporters that it was likely just a glitch and the last stream from a dying phone. But then… the lamppost moved.

I have to admit that I didn’t notice it at first. I was looking away from my screen for a second and when I started watching the stream again, the shape was gone and the chat was going crazy. But it didn’t end with that. Someone seemed to be picking up the phone, careful not to be seen by the running camera. And they began traveling deeper into the center of the fog. Sometimes the signal cuts out for a minute or two but they never stop going. Fifteen minutes ago, another stream went online. They seem to be coming from the same source but a different camera.

The second camera picks up heat signals that are much more efficient at telling us what is going on. Ladies and Gentlemen, there are shapes moving through the Fog. It is impossible to tell what they are, they are too fast, too far away and too pixelated for that. But there are many, many, many of them.

Listeners.The first news of copycats are reaching us. Please. No matter what you do, don’t try to attempt to stream from the Fog. We don’t know who or rather what is filming but if you try to stream from New Hampshire to get followers online, trust me, you won’t accomplish anything and your loved ones will receive another 603 call next year. Do not do this. I repeat: do not attempt to walk into the Fog.

That is all for national alerts.

**Quick Questions:**

For our next segment, I’ll be answering quick questions you’ve sent to us either via Twitter @vfdarkness or by email at avoicefromdarkness@gmail.com. If you have a question you’d like answered on the show, please tweet us at @vfdarkness or write us at avoicefromdarkness@gmail.com.

Our first question comes from Lias in Michigan. They write: “Dr. Ryder, This might be an uncommon question, but time does not pass in one of the corners of my room. I placed a cut flower there a year ago just to test how strong the effect is. The flower has not wilted or aged a day. I could go and get it from the corner and leave it on my table and it would wilt and die completely. But as long as it stays in the corner, it stays beautiful forever. The area where this is happening is very small. Just enough for a person to sit there comfortably. Do I have to avoid this area or should I move my freezer there to keep my food fresh?”

Lias. There are many reasons for localised time phenomena. Most of them are not immediately life threatening and since you seem to have lived there for a while it’s unlikely to cause you any harm. However, try not to fall asleep in that spot and make sure to have people who will check up on you every now and then in case you get trapped. Send me your address in case you want the spot to get checked out by either me or one of my colleagues. And… don’t relocate your fridge there. As long as we don’t know what causes this, we can’t know for certain if the food will still be edible to you after you put it there.

Our second question comes from Hantee. They write: “I was in a museum and … well now I am in a museum, too. But it is not the same museum at all. I turned right after the dinosaur exhibition. I was just looking for the gift shop but now I’m in a very weird and scary place. I think I’ve been here for days. The exhibits seem to be alive but sedated, maybe? There are humans and animals and other, strange creatures. There is an art section too but I am too scared to leave this room. Something is moving in the halls. It knows I’m here and I think it’s waiting for me to make a move. There is an empty spot in the human collection. Please help me. I’ve tried calling in but the line is blocked.”

Hantee, I’m afraid I’ve never heard of this place before. It is likely you’ve accidentally stepped into a parallel universe however. Most people can find their way back into their own world by simply retracing the steps that led them into the new world. If the thing in the hallway blocks your way however, don’t try to fight it. Run to safety and call me again. Leave a voicemail or write another message and I will try to guide you through this. Be safe and worry for your own safety first. Unfortunately that’s all the time we have for your written questions. Next up: Today In Odd America, and then we’ll open up our phone lines.

**Today in Odd America:**

Today in Odd America we find ourselves in Gothenburg, Montana in the year 2000.

On July 16th 2000, the entire city of Gothenburg disappeared from its spot for three whole days only to reappear in the spot where it used to be exactly 72 hours later - just ten feet to the left. The inhabitants were tested by doctors and questioned by the officials. But all of them seemed to be physically fine and completely unaware of what had happened to their town.

When the outsiders left the city a few days later, their tests were inconclusive and they had not found any answers. Instead they seemed to have more questions than before they had come to the city. And to their horror, they discovered that the date had changed in their absence. They had entered Gothenburg on July 19th but when they emerged, it was July 16th again.

Time had gone in the wrong direction for the entire time they’d spent in the city. Since then, time in Gothenburg has been steadily running backwards. The inhabitants still grow older but by now they live in the 1980s again. Nowadays, entering the city is considered a health hazard. Passing the borders of the city can lead to rapid ageing or de-ageing.

Several citizens who decided to move out of the city in 2002 crumbled to dust as soon as they stepped over the border. To this day no one knows exactly what caused this rift in time.

**ACT II**

_Today in Odd America Music fades out_

**RYDER**

_(SFX: Sounds like his voice is coming through a telephone)_ And we’re back. This time I am the caller on the line since Diane disregarded what I said and went into the coffee shop anyway.

So I am out of the studio to … save her? If she is in need of saving that is. And it seems like she was right about the shop. It definitely looks open and about half of the tables seem to be occupied. All but one of the people in the shop are looking at me expectantly. They are smiling politely. The one person who is looking away seems to be Diane, though I can’t be completely sure from the distance. Alright, listeners. I’m about to do something very unwise. ( _SFX: sounds of a door opening, a bell rings, sounds of a coffee shop, footsteps)_ Okay so far so good. Nothing’s happened yet. It smells like coffee. Like any kind of coffee shop would. _(SFX: more footsteps)_

**WAITRESS**

Welcome to the Tea Chin Mime Coffee Shop! There’s a really nice table in front of the window that we’ve reserved for you!

**RYDER**

_(audibly confused)_ Okay, that is kind of you. But I did not reserve a table.

**WAITRESS**

_(her audio is distorted)_ Do you want to order now? The special is our Cinnamon and Apple Pie. Just as grandma used to make it.

**RYDER**

Hmmm no. I’m fine, actually. I came here for business. I was looking for my intern. Her name’s … nevermind her name. She’s a young girl, about your height. She’s still in university and very bad at following directions. Anyway she came in here and she will not be staying.

**WAITRESS**

Is that so. And what if she wants to stay? What if she doesn’t want to come with you. Who are we to disregard her wishes and make her go back to a world where time passes and doesn’t stop passing. Where people are expected to always look young but don’t have the means to? Where bad things don’t stop coming at you. Even if you desperately wish for a break and some peace.

Why, you look tired, Dr. Ryder. Why don’t you sit down at your table and rest for a while? You don’t have anything to fear here. You’ll be left in peace to rest as much as you need to. And … the pie is very good.

**RYDER**

No. I am sure your pie is great but I will not be staying either. Now where’s my intern?

**WAITRESS**

_(with glee)_ Back there. But she’s already had a slice of apple pie. And she quite enjoyed the strawberry milkshake.

_(awwws condescendingly)_

You can’t blame people for wishing that things would stop coming at them, Ryder. Your little intern might not be good at following orders but she’s not good at many things. And she’ll never be reminded of all the ways she’s worse than her twin brother in this house.

**RYDER**

Well she can never get better at things if she stays here. So I will be bringing her home and then I’ll help her get better.

**WAITRESS**

Why? She’s just an intern. It can’t be that hard to get a new one who is better already. You don’t need her. You don’t even know her that well. In fact, you spend most of your time annoyed at her or cleaning up after her. You don’t even really want her back, you just like to play the hero.

**RYDER**

I want to speak to her.

**WAITRESS**

Fine.

**DIANE**

_(not all that enthusiastic)_ Oh. Hello, Dr. Ryder. Why are you here?

**RYDER**

To bring you home.

**DIANE**

I don’t really know if I want to.

**RYDER**

Oh, right. You had a slice of pie, didn’t you? Do you remember what I told you about eating food in strange places?

**DIANE**

No eating in strange places?

**RYDER**

Exactly! This is a strange place in my book. I don’t know what you were...

_(softer)_

It’s not a big deal. Most effects of foods like this can be reversed after some time. Do you remember how the food in places like these can affect humans?

**DIANE**

_(more engaged, she’s not just answering the question. She’s actively participating in the conversation because she likes her folklore classes at Ravenswood)_ In many old tales, humans were not allowed to eat or drink in the otherworld. Like Persephone in the land of the dead…

**RYDER**

_(overlapping)_ ... though she was technically a goddess and not human.

**DIANE**

_(cheery)_ Yeah, that’s true. But before and after her story, there were many similar fairy tales and myths about people who traveled to other worlds. And the consequences were similar. They … oh. They weren’t allowed to leave after they’d consumed the food.

**WAITRESS**

_(with glee)_ That’s right.

**RYDER**

_(insistent)_ You’re right- to a degree at least. In many tales mortals who tasted the so called fairy food were unable or unwilling to leave the other world after their encounter with the otherworldly. They would either find themselves poisoned by what they believed to be food in their trance. Or they would be transformed into something new and inhuman. That could be an animal, a monster or something entirely different.

Other stories say that monsters- often fairies in popular stories, would be able to control mortals once they’d eaten food from that other world. They’d make them dance until their feet started to bleed and they begged for salvation from someone or something. And then- a tamer version of that myth: the interpretation that people were simply so amazed by the strange foods they’d tasted that human food had become bland to them.

**WAITRESS**

So… why is that relevant?

**RYDER**

Well I’m trying to figure out what all of this is for, obviously. No one here’s obviously dead at the moment so I figured you don’t feed them to kill them. At least not immediately. Everyone also largely seems human so the option that feels like it would somewhat make sense is you trying to control these people.

**DIANE**

Maybe she’s eating us.

**WAITRESS**

_(cautious but she’s obviously not worried)_ Maybe I am!

**RYDER**

I don’t think so. I’ve seen similar places and the monster at the center of these places usually doesn’t feed on humans. People just lose themselves in timeless places like this one and they… get hollowed out. Once they’re hollow, things will take their place and body.

**WAITRESS**

Oh well, I suppose you do know some things after all. Not that it seems like it, you don’t really HELP people in your show, do you? And there’s all those nasty rumours about you…

_(break)_

It doesn’t hurt, you know. You’re just content here. Until you stop existing one day. The offer still stands, there’s a nice table at the window just for you.

**RYDER**

No. We will not be staying.

**WAITRESS**

Let your intern speak for herself.

**DIANE**

I .... don’t think I want to… no I am certain I don’t want to stay. I … want to go home.

**RYDER**

_(sighs, relieved)_ Good… _(more enthusiastic)_ good!

_(clothes rustling as he touches her shoulder to tell her she’ll be alright, he gives her the recorder)_

Bring this outside and… stay outside, no matter what happens. I’ll try to help the others. If they’re not too far gone.

_(SFX: Diane walks away, a door opens and suddenly there’s street sounds and birds are chirping)_

**DIANE**

Oooookay. Hello listeners. Don’t worry. Dr. Ryder… he’ll be back soon. And he’ll save the people in the coffee shop.

Right now I can see him talking to people through the window. The waitress-thing doesn’t look happy at all. But she also seems intimidated by him, so I believe he’ll be fine. You know, I’ve always wondered if he had some sore of powers, himself. Ryder. I don’t mean whether or not he’s a monster, everyone can be a monster. But… well there ARE people with powers, right? And I always figured- if someone has powers then it would be one of the Ryders. … and there he’s coming back.

_(SFX: door opens, several sets of footsteps)_

**RYDER**

Randall and Carla here have agreed to come back to the real world. I’m afraid the others are too far gone.

Oh! We’re still on air? (to listeners) I’m sorry, but we’re going to cut the show off at this point. These people require medical assistance. But remember. Don’t let places like this one lure you in. They’re no sanctuary, they’re just another trap.

And I promise you that therapy is much more efficient in getting you to feel good than monsters.

Until next time, this has been A Voice From Darkness.

_Outro Music fades in and out._

**Author's Note:**

> I am aware that the TIOA section was... meh. But it's almost 1 AM and I can't make myself rewrite that part... so yea. Fun Fact Tea Chin Mime is an anagram for Time Machine.


End file.
